THE MINDLESS EATING HABITS OF CAREGIVERS - CONFESSION IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL
To say my blood high pressure reading shocked me was an under-statement. But the nurse assured me that although it was a little high, it wasn’t an urgent situation, and suggested a follow-up with my health provider.
Retracing my daily eating habits, it was obvious, junk food had now become my way of life. In the beginning I refused to face the truth and was in complete denial, trying to convince myself that it really wasn’t a problem.
All the while the sound “junk food junkie” kept ringing in my ears, until in righteous indignation, I declared: “I got a right!” - justifying my position that the snacks helped to keep my energy up. But, the facts spoke for themselves and the evidence was clear, and I didn’t have to go any further than my kitchen counter to figure out why snacking had become a stumbling block.
After being exposed and facing the hard truth, it didn’t take long to realize, in my heart of hearts, I had definitely fallen into a pattern of comfort eating. Once I stopped denying I had a problem and decided to take action, I started to keep a log of how many times I’d grab a snack off the counter as I was doing my daily caregiving activities.
HERE A SNACK , THERE A SNACK , EVERYWHERE A SNACK SNACK
After retracing my steps, I was surprised to find that over time, I had setup a virtual snacking station that included an assortment of chips, crackers, cookies, donuts, pretzels, and every other salty and sweet snack you could name. I would snack while preparing meals, cooking, cleaning up the kitchen or any other aspects of caregiving process.
But it didn’t just stop there, after I finished caring for my mom for the day, my reward was a snack, eventually it moved to just snacking whenever. If I needed to pause for a moment before doing my next task, I’d grab a cookie, while waiting for the microwave to finish heating up something; I’d munch some crackers, and so on and so on.
It took a little bit to figure out what was happening because at first I was in complete denial. I just knew I had the willpower to stop if I wanted to, and I didn’t need to take the items off the counter Plus, since time was always of the essence, I’d just cut back – didn’t work!!
Next, I took the items off the counter, thinking out of site out of mind. But, I quickly found out, it’s not about where you hide the snacks, it’s about the craving and using food as a source of comfort, that can be very seductive in moments of stress. Instead of curbing my self-indulgence, I'd just swing my arm a little higher to reach the top of the fridge or open a cabinet door, and in one fell swoop grab the snack without missing a beat.
TOUGH LOVE – REALITY CHECK
In desperation, I decided load the counter with healthy snacks like fruit, nuts, and dark chocolate. I wish I could say it worked, but instead of eating the healthy stuff, I kept right on snacking on my old favorites. It’s not that I didn’t realize my short comings, but just a sniff from a bag of potato chips would send me into a tailspin.
Finally, I came up with the ultimate solution, by placing a big sign in front of my snack bar with my blood pressure reading, and instructions on what to do if you have a stroke! Did that stop me cold turkey? – - No! But, I'm learning how to better control my cravings, and now whenever I reach out for a junk food snack, I’ve learned to close my fist and move on.
My sign has been a definite motivator in helping me to become more mindful of what I’m eating and why. So, to all you caregivers who may have the “junk food-itis” syndrome, here’s hoping you won’t have to go to such drastic measures to get your snacking under control.
Be Well - Stay Well - Because Caregivers Need Care Too!!
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Coach Gloria
Life Strategies/Wellness Coach & Patient Advocate
Owner: GJ Brown & Associates
Email: gbrown1gjba@gmail.com
Blog: Glo’s Caregiver Wellness Connection
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